Rescue slings currently on the market are used to pull, drag or lift an individual out of harms way, possibly in such situations as rescue from a burning building, in a natural disaster or any situation that warrants quickly getting an individual to a safe location. Some of these rescue slings may be called military rescue slings, combat rescue slings, or fire or firefighter rescue slings.
Rescue slings are designed by a multitude of different manufactures to their specific criteria such as strength rating, length, width, thickness and color. Most rescue type slings are manufactured from flat webbing products, usually made using nylon, polyester or polypropylene yarns. Rescue slings are configured in many different ways. Some are constructed with buckles which are sewn into a flat webbing product, wherein the buckles must be connected to be used for a rescue. Other rescue slings use no hardware and are sewn together. One such product is called a Sling Link Combat rescue sling manufactured by Sling Link, Inc. and schematically identified in FIG. 1 herein.
The Sling Link product is made using five separate webbings, sections or loops that are typically provided in different colors, and that are looped together. Refer to design patent D602,638 owned by Sling Link, Inc. The combat rescue version uses one length of green webbing, two lengths of brown webbing and two lengths of black webbing. The color coding sequence of each of the components is important in a rescue situation for ease of use. All the components are woven with nylon 6 PET collar webbing. Each component is approximately 57 inches in length and formed into a loop as shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical rescue sling A which shows the five above mentioned sections identified as sections or loops 7A, 7B, 7C, 7D and 7E, with corresponding stitching or sewing identified respectively at 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D and 8E joined through one another in the three different colors of black 9A, brown 9B and green 9C.
This rescue sling is formed from separate webbing sections in a predetermined sequence to form the basis of what is called a rescue sling. The first length of webbing is black in color. The 57 inch length section 7A of black webbing is formed into a circle overlapping the two heat sealed bitter ends at approximately 9 inches in length and sewn together (loop or section 7A sewn at 8A). The diameter of the circle formed by the webbing is approximately 15 inches. The next 57 inch section 7B of webbing is brown in color. This is threaded through the circle formed of black webbing, over lapped by the same 9 inches and stitched together to form a second length of webbing (loop or section 7B sewn at 8B). The next 57 inch section 7C of webbing is green in color, and is the only green loop. The green webbing is threaded through the circle formed of brown webbing, overlapped by 9 inches and stitched together to form a third circle or loop that may be 15 inches in diameter (loop or section 7C sewn at 8C). Another 57 inch section 7D of brown webbing is attached to the green circle in the same manner, completing four lengths of webbing threaded together (loop or section 7D sewn at 8D). The final length section 7E of webbing is black in color and is thread through the fourth circle of brown webbing, over lapped by the same length and sewn together (loop or section 7E sewn at 8E). The completed unit is thus comprised of five separate circles of webbing interlocked together, and as illustrated in FIG. 1 herein.
Rescue slings manufactured using the Sling Link method, although having been commercially used are characterized by a very labor intensive and costly method of fabrication. The organization Web Sling and Tie Down Association recommend a safety factor of ⅓ be used as a Working Load Limit. This safety factor takes into account the effect of sewing on the original strength of the webbing used to fabricate slings made of synthetic webbing. The webbing used to manufacture the Sling Link rescue sling can be rated at 4,000 pounds. Thus, the recommended Working Load Limit would be ⅓ of 4,000 pounds or 1,333 pounds in a vertical configuration. Further improvement of the methodology of manufacture and strength improvement is always to be sought.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of manufacturing a rescue sling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved integrally woven one piece flame resistant rescue sling.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rescue sling that can be manufactured far easier and at less expense in comparison to existing rescue slings.